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Metamorphosis: Seven Sins VIII - Baleful Babysitter
Back to Metamorphosis: Seven Sins Chapter 8 – Baleful Babysitter ---- True to its name, the Old Swamp of the Minegarde region had been used as a hunting ground for generations. There was nothing that the Minegarde Hunter’s Guild didn’t know about this damp sub-region. Smaller, more densely forested, and less populated with monsters than its sister sub-region in the Frontier, it was an area that those of Minegarde were intimately familiar with. In the caves, it wasn’t very dark. Rather, the cavern walls were often speckled with light-giving minerals that provided dim illumination. These mineral deposits were frequented by wandering Basarioses, who ate the pretty rocks to help build up their shells. The moisture on the floor also made these areas favorable for Vespoids and the occasional Khezu. However, there was one cave that was unlike any other in the Old Swamp. For one, it was unusually warm – sometimes even hot. Water vapor filled the damp chamber, giving it a murky green light that made it look as if it was underwater. Unfavorable for all but the plants and fungi that had taken it over, this cavern was devoid of animal life. But today, that was about to change. Underneath the layers of warm mud that blanketed the floor of the humid cave, a tremendous heartbeat slowly started up, sending vibrations through the soil that disturbed the worms and other crawling things that thrived in this paradise of heat and water. The hibernating creature’s pulse thundered anew through its tired veins, kicking its metabolism back into gear. Suddenly, the temperature in the cavern began to increase. Steam hissed off of the ground, which collected in the already-saturated air until the glow of the stones on the walls was quenched. It was this natural light that refracted through the fog and turned the cave green, but now there was so much steam that it painted the entire chamber with thick, opaque white. A rumbling growl echoed through the cave, shaking loose debris off of the ceiling. Muscles that hadn’t been used in many centuries strained to lift their owner out of the soil. Earth buckled and shifted as a garden of metal spikes poked through. A pair of wingarms longer than an Akantor was tall oozed out of the mud, gripping the ground with vast talons and further lifting the beast out of its prison. Sludgy black oil dripped like rain onto the cave floor as the beast continued to rise. Solid stone began to crumble as its back met the ceiling. Two points of fierce red light blazed through the fog, followed by a somewhat duller glow that shone through the mud still stuck to the monster’s chest. Now the cavern was shaking as the enormous creature fought to escape, grinding its thorn-studded back against the roof of the chamber and clawing chunks of rock out of the walls. With every struggle, the confines of its prison grew weaker. The creature itself was barely aware of this – its primitive mind was preoccupied by the ferocious hunger that was threatening to consume it. All it knew was that it needed to be free, and that it wanted to feed. Monsters all over the Old Swamp turned and fled in terror when the black beast exploded out of the cave, shoving its head and shoulders through the ceiling and shrugging away the walls that contained it. It took an earthshaking step forwards, further obliterating its surroundings. Its small front legs waved in the air while its back legs, wingarms, and tail supported its immense and under-exercised bulk. For almost two millennia, it had hibernated. For almost two millennia, its body heat had warmed that cavern. For almost two millennia, it had waited for the familiar presence of powerful spirits. Now it was awake, and the first stop it wanted to make was the human city. There was good food there, and valuable weapons to graft onto its oily back for protection. The Gogmazios started its unhurried rampage, knowing that its target couldn’t run away. It moved deceptively fast, soon leaving the caverns far behind and smashing its way through the dank forest. A roar not unlike the tolling of a gong rang out across the Old Swamp, announcing the elder dragon’s unholy return. “DRAAAAAAAYYYYYYRRR!” It wasn’t long before the Gogmazios was gone, following the scent of food in its nostrils. Trees were smashed down in its wake as it vanished into the murky mists of the Old Swamp. A lone figure came out of hiding and stared after the baleful elder dragon, smirking. “Stealing the gunpowder from Dundorma paid off,” Avari, Spirit of Greed, said to himself. “Now that Gogmazios has awoken, he will eat what I have left him and immediately head to the Battlequarters for more. All will know that the Day of Destruction will soon begin anew.” ---- Keyren took a deep breath through her nose, feeling the familiar invigorating scent of Loc Lac City’s streets tickle her nostrils. As she led Swamp Boy further into the city, in turn following Cindy and the others, she noticed how much more lively this part of the abandoned city was from the outskirts. At the city’s edge, where the buildings met the Great Desert, there was no-one. But deeper amongst the strange landscape of pavement and buildings in various states of disrepair, the hybrid community flourished. Keyren never got tired of turning her head every which way, watching her fellow monsters-turned-humans live their lives without fear of being discovered. The Lagiacrus-girl turned her head to look at the unknown hybrid. “See, Swamp Boy? We can live in peace here until it’s okay to come out. Here, we can actually feel like we belong.” “Sssss…” he hissed. She turned away, slightly annoyed. That’s the only sound he would ever make, and it wasn’t like he was actually talking to her. All he was doing was tasting the air with that grotesque tongue of his. She hoped he’d give in to his human instincts soon and learn how to talk. Even Dissidia, a Deviljho for Fatalis’ sake, was learning faster than him. “Dissidia like the desert,” said Deviljho-girl was saying now, to Melody. “No rain in desert. Rain make things wet. Dissidia not like wet.” “No rain and plenty of good company!” she chirped back, beaming so hard her face was tinged pink. “You can even help out around here, if you feel like it!” Keyren heard her friend socializing with the former brute wyvern, and sighed. Dissidia spoke softly and hesitantly, apparently not wishing to frighten anyone. That tail of hers got in the way a lot, and whenever that happened, she would always apologize. She had a heart of gold, that one. If only I could say the same for Swamp Boy, she thought, casting him another glance. His hungry, orange glare was focused on a small Lagombi-boy helping his mother hang blankets on a clothesline. He’s still a monster on the inside. Thinking about nothing but food – and he’s a predator. I hope Duruhos doesn’t make me his caretaker. Instead, she hoped that Swamp Boy would be assigned to someone good. Her friend Kumono the Nerscylla came to mind, or Claire the Lucent Nargacuga. All of a sudden, Cindy came to a halt. Keyren, Melody, Dissidia, and the unnamed hybrids saw this and stopped as well, not wanting to crash into the Elite. But Gekula, with his useless eyes covered by his thick mop of hair, kept going and bumped painfully into a wall. No one paid the Khezu-boy any heed. Their attention was focused on the building in front of them. It was a large house, but a heavily damaged one – the roof was missing, and a big chunk had been taken out of the upper-left portion of the wall. The door swung back and forth on its hinges, ever so slightly, as the wind continuously blew it open and closed. It wasn’t anything impressive, but it was where Duruhos had made his home. After knocking, Cindy opened the door with a grating *creeeeeeaaaakk* and let her company file inside. There was only one room on the other side of the door, but it was more than big enough to fit all the hybrids inside. Without a roof to block the way, sunlight flowed freely inside and illuminated the room and its furniture. Aside from the large desk in the corner, the room’s furnishings were rather standard – chairs scattered about the room, a table and cupboards for mealtimes, and an empty bedframe in the darkest corner. Exposed to the elements as it was, the inside of the house showed definite signs of wear, like the curtains made ragged by the wind, or the thin layer of sand on the floor. Standing in the middle of the room was Duruhos himself. An elderly Rust Duramboros, he was tall with stocky arms and legs. His face was wizened and slightly wrinkled, featuring an impressive goatee growing from his chin and a pair of scythe-shaped horns sprouting from his forehead. Thanks to the big, fleshy hump on his back, Duruhos had the appearance of a hunchback, when in reality his posture was perfectly fine. A sturdy tail with a hammer-shaped growth on the end dragged on the floor behind him. He wore a simple green tunic with a pair of dusty brown shorts, and his hair was the color of sand. However, no-one expected another person to be in the room with the leader of the hybrid community. And several people rolled their eyes when they saw who it was – Spark the Rajang. Spark was always arguing with Duruhos. He was much younger and far more muscular, with biceps and pectorals that would make any human bodybuilder green with envy. He only wore a pair of pants and no shirt, exposing the thick mane of black fur that covered his back. His head was also topped with black fur, from where an impressive pair of horns extended on either side of him. A small tail flicked back and forth behind him. And, as usual, his eyes radiated anger while his face was set in a scowl. “Ah, Cindy,” Duruhos greeted with a smile. His voice was relaxed and calm, even when he was irritated. “Sue told me that you would be arriving. It’s so wonderful to see you again. And Keyren, Gekula, and Melody. I’m glad the three of you are back safe and sound.” The three gave him respectful bows, but didn’t say anything. Even Melody, normally the chattiest of them all, had shut up. It wouldn’t do to speak out of turn in the presence of someone who never did so – especially when he was your leader. “The same to you, Duruhos,” growled Cindy. Behind her mask, her eyes were narrowed in Spark’s direction. “Did we come at a bad time, perhaps? I can wait until you and Spark have finished your… discussion.” The old Rust Duramboros-man smiled kindly. “No, no, that’s quite alright. Spark was just leaving, were you not?” It was rare to hear tension in Duruhos’ voice, unless Spark happened to be in the room. Which he was. “Certainly,” the Rajang-man replied dangerously. He casually cracked his impressive set of knuckles and added, “But I don’t like how you’re approaching this problem, Duruhos. Perhaps it’s time we had a new leader.” With that, Sparks shrugged his way past the visitors and out the door. It wasn’t as simple as that, though – when he made the mistake of bumping Cindy out of the way, the Dinovaldo-woman instantly raised her tailblade and grabbed his forearm with a clawed grip. The two of them glared into each other’s eyes for the longest time, before Cindy finally relaxed and let Spark go. “What was that troublesome oaf up to now?” she spat, the second he had left. Sighing, Duruhos replied, “Another argument. He wishes to come with us when we leave for the coast.” “Nonsense,” Cindy snarled. Her tailblade struck the floor sharply, fueled by suppressed rage. “I’m sure he will settle down,” Duruhos assured her, then turned his gaze to the newcomers to his city. “Now, why don’t I have a look at the fortunate hybrids that wish to join us here in seclusion?” Before he could, though, there was another knock at the door. Without waiting for a reply, Ray somehow managed to fit his enormous bulk through the doorway. He was still carrying the Najarala-woman over his shoulder, but she seemed to finally be stirring after the chaotic Raizekusu-man, Odon, had thrashed her. “I’ve got one more,” Ray rumbled. “I’ll leave her with you, Duruhos.” “Excellent, Ray,” he smiled. “She will be well taken care of. Thank you.” The Gamuto-man bowed, then stomped back through the doorway and disappeared. It didn’t take long for the Najarala-woman to wake up, and when she did, she immediately coiled up tensely and rattled her headdress. Her yellow eyes warily flicked from one person to the next, trying to keep them all in sight so they couldn’t surprise-attack her. “No need to be afraid,” Duruhos assured her, his kind smile never wavering. He had seen this reaction a hundred times before. “I merely wish to examine you. We may as well get to know each other if you will be joining my community.” Neither the Chameleos-boy or the Najarala-woman reacted much when Duruhos inspected them, poking and prodding with his gnarled fingers – although the Najarala-woman did tense up and jerk her head when he first made contact, as if resisting the instinctive urge to bite him in self-defense. Dissidia was much more content than either of the non-speaking hybrids, even going as far to exchange a few friendly words with Duruhos as he looked her over. “You are a Deviljho, are you not?” he asked, lightly stroking her tail. “Yep,” she grunted. “Not always hungry, though. Dissidia feel much calmer in new body. Don’t feel like eating.” “Of course not,” Duruhos assured her, giving her head a friendly pat. “Your metabolism isn’t as high now that you’re part human. You can spend less time focusing on food and more on other things. That is why your transformation is a blessing.” Appearing lost at the big words he used, Dissidia just nodded. She wasn’t the only befuddled one in the room. A blessing? the Baruragaru thought. How could being confined to this scrawny, ungainly body be a blessing? I was powerful before, now I am weak. It is a curse for sure. Just as he was thinking this, Duruhos laid eyes on him for the first time. The old one frowned. “It can’t be…” he murmured. He stood completely still, just staring at the unknown hybrid with a mixture of confusion and great interest. His gaze was met by a scalding orange one, one in which the distrust was clear. At last, Duruhos spoke, his words hushed to a murmur. “I see this one’s human instincts haven’t yet taken root,” he observed, almost to himself. “And I can tell that he won’t let his old self go so easily. Alas, the transformation is always hard to adjust to… the body changes so quickly that it takes the mind weeks to catch up.” Hearing this, Keyren nodded in sympathy. All hybrids knew how terrible those first few days post-transformation were. The new senses, the unnatural tingle of magic, the unusual thoughts manifesting in their minds and making them question who they were… the change to a humanoid form and mind was something all got used to, but also something none enjoyed. Swamp Boy had a tough road ahead of him. Duruhos would have undoubtedly continued in his musings unless someone interrupted him. That someone was Cindy, who thumped the flat of her tailblade against the wall for attention. The look in the Rust Duramboros-man’s cleared up when he realized that the Elite had something to say. “Focus, Duruhos,” she spoke sharply. “Could it be possible that you know what this creature is?” She pointed a clawed finger at Swamp Boy, who hissed indignantly and tried to crouch behind Keyren. Slowly, their leader nodded. “Yes. He is a monster that I never, not in my wildest dreams, could have imagined would ever find its way here. He is not native to the Great Continent – an invader from another land. I have heard whispers of this monster’s existence, but thought they were just tall tales.” In a voice taut with awe, Melody hesitantly stepped forward. “So… what is he, sir?” “A Baruragaru,” Duruhos replied. The Baruragaru in question poked his head out from behind Keyren and stood more upright, hearing and understanding the title that had been given to him and his kind. “A most vile beast, from the stories I have heard,” continued Duruhos, beginning to pace the room. “They are top predators, lurking in cold and dark places, using their deadly tongues to extract sustenance from the warm bodies of their prey.” By now, everyone was staring at the Baruragaru with new understanding written all over their faces. Hating being the center of attention, the Baruragaru flexed his fins and retreated to the nearest corner, gurgling hostilely. “A bloodsucker?” Gekula was the first to speak. “I thought I smelled something strange on him.” “Dissidia not like,” moaned Dissidia, backing away in revulsion. But Duruhos raised his hands. “Let us not judge our cave-dwelling friend so soon. Perhaps he will grow to become quite the likeable character when his human instincts settle in.” The Baruragaru’s fins pricked up again. When they settled in? He didn’t think so. As far as he could figure out, ‘human’ was their word for the weakling Two-Legs creatures. That was the one thing he did not want to be likened to. And the Blue Female’s expression of vague horror wasn’t helping matters. Now that she knew what he was, was she going to loathe him like her companions already did? Something unpleasant swam its way into his chest and settled there, making him feel like he was being physically weighed down. Disappointment? Dejection? General sadness? Who cared? All the Baruragaru knew was that it was something he was unaccustomed to. “Well, like Duruhos said, we shouldn’t judge him based on what he is,” said the Blue Female – No, the Baruragaru corrected himself. She and others refer to her as ‘Keyren’. That may be a title similar to ‘Baruragaru’. It is her identity. “Just look at Dissidia,” continued Keyren. “Her kind is infamous for being a bunch of violent, stupid brutes. But she’s not so violent, or so brutish.” Everyone noticed how she didn’t include ‘not so stupid’, but let it slide. Dissidia included. Most shockingly, the Covered One – Cindy – was the first to agree. “She’s right,” she growled, casting a glance at the perplexed Baruragaru that was significantly less malevolent than others before. “We’re different now. With our transformations and acquisition of new instincts, we’re allowed to diversify beyond the norm of our species. I can welcome this… Baruragaru… into our midst, provided he does not act out of turn.” … What? They were willing to accept him? Him, an unpopular predator in his homeland as well as, more recently, the Swamp? A creature that inspired nothing but hatred and terror, that stood for nothing but itself? Many, many strange sensations clamored for dominance in his chest. The most prevalent was one he was rapidly getting to know well – bewilderment. Then there was a slight feeling that resembled fear – anxiety, he supposed. Under that, there was a hint of something that made him want to know more. There were a hundred and one other things that the Baruragaru felt, but the one that really got his attention was something that made him feel warm and fuzzy. Were these Two-Legs emotions? It certainly made sense to the Baruragaru. Most monsters tended to feel only fear, anger, pain, comfort perhaps, and occasionally satisfaction. The Baruragaru decided that he hated these new feelings and tried to stamp them out. But they just wouldn’t be suppressed. Other monsters – well, hybrids technically – were agreeing to let him join them as an equal. No wonder he couldn’t contain these new reactions. This situation was mind-boggling. “I think he’s overcome,” remarked Melody, giggling. She didn’t know the half of it. “That reminds me,” Duruhos said, slowly moving over to his desk to pluck something out of a cup – a twig of some kind. Thoughtfully munching on it, the Rust Duramboros-man went on, “Our foreign friends are going to need caretakers. Is there anyone available?” “Kumono?” suggested Keyren, thinking of her friend the Nerscylla-boy. “He’s good with taking care of people – which is weird. I mean, he’s a spider. Patience and compassion don’t exactly run in the family.” “He already has his hands full,” Gekula reminded. “I could take the Baruragaru, if you want.” “No,” Keyren spoke sharply. “Your existence is enough of a bad influence.” “Your words wound me,” the Khezu-boy snickered, apparently finding the insult hilarious. “Dissidia go with Melody,” decided Dissidia. “Dissidia like her. She happy and funny.” “That might actually be a good idea,” Duruhos agreed, nodding. “And I know a couple of folks that might be willing to take the Chameleos and Najarala.” The Najarala-woman clattered suspiciously. The Chameleos-boy, though, just grinned and crossed his eyes goofily. “That leaves Swamp Boy,” stated Keyren. The Baruragaru perked up when he heard her speak, having learned a long time ago to associate the brash and confident tone of the voice with the attractive girl it came from. Duruhos spared him a long, considerate look, then suddenly nodded to himself, appearing to arrive at a decision. “I think I know someone who would be good for the job,” he announced. “Someone who would benefit from this partnership as much as our friend here. Cindy, you know who I’m talking about, don’t you?” The Dinovaldo-woman made a face – although her mask made it hard to tell – and promptly exited the room to fetch the person that Duruhos had been speaking of. Everyone else exchanged blank glances, unable to figure out for the life of them whom their leader was talking about. But soon, their curiosity was put to rest. It didn’t take long for Cindy to return, announcing her presence with a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, she stepped inside and away from the door to show the hybrid she had brought with her. Keyren saw her, and her temper figuratively went through the roof. “''WHAT?! Are you INSANE?!” The girl was dressed in a tight black shirt, skirt, and leggings, with Remobra-skin shoes to match. A belt kept her skirt from slipping, decorated with a skull-shaped buckle. A spiked collar wound around her slender neck, and another around her wrist. Immense wings as dark as night extended from her back, lined with ferocious red spikes. Another spike adorned her jet-black tail, one as long and sharp as a lance. Her short black hair framed a pale face and dark, navy blue eyes – a face that was neutral and eyes in which despair perpetually swam. Every hybrid that made up Loc Lac’s sparse population knew this young woman, and looked down on her with disgust. Despite her shy personality, unintimidating stature, and negative outlook on life in general, she came from a wyvern species so hated and feared that they were widely believed to be demons from Hell given physical form. The girl and her kind had no distinguishing name – they were only known, ironically, as the Unknown. “You called, Duruhos?” the girl murmured, uncomfortably staring at her hands clasped in front of her. “Sera,” he greeted, smiling again. “I’m glad you could make it so quickly.” “You’re the only one who ever is,” Sera replied, in the same neutral monotone. “I take it back,” Keyren said emphatically, dorsal spines crackling loudly. “Gekula’s fine. Let him take Swamp Boy under his wing. There’s ''no way that Sera is getting anywhere near him!” Sera’s eyes widened, although she didn’t even spare Keyren a glance. “You want me to be a caretaker, Duruhos?” “It’d be a fine experience for you,” he told her reassuringly. “Perhaps you’ll cheer up a little now that you have something productive to do. You’re always beating yourself up about things that don’t matter. With a new hybrid that needs taking care of, maybe you’ll realize that you’re more valuable and useful than others tell you.” Unsure, Sera remained silent. Nostrils flinching as if he couldn’t bear even the scent of the newcomer, Gekula objected, “With all due respect, Duruhos… you picked Sera? Surely you must know of her… origin? If so, you must also know that she is the worst possible monster to let near an impressionable, recently-transformed monster such as Swamp Boy over there.” “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this,” Keyren added in a snarl, “but Gekula’s right.” Before anyone else could back them up, Duruhos raised a hand for quiet. “Now, I know perfectly well what you youngsters believe about Sera, but I believe differently. She has great potential, but cannot reach it if she is content to distance herself from the world and endure the remarks you make in your prejudice. Being the caretaker of this Baruragaru will be just as much help to her damaged self-esteem as it will be to the Baruragaru’s life as a whole.” Only now did Sera turn around and come face-to-face with her charge. The Baruragaru’s first instinct was to hiss and warn her off… but he didn’t. There was something about the girl’s shadowed eyes that made him immediately contrite. Never had he seen such an expression of hopelessness. It was an expression of one who was completely lost and alone in a city full of others like her. Again, the Baruragaru felt pity. But he was so mesmerized by Sera’s pits of despair that he didn’t try to quash it. “So you are the one,” the Unknown-girl murmured. One hand gripped her wrist self-consciously. “I… I can understand if you don’t want me as your caretaker. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of bad things about me… but if Duruhos thinks I’m good enough to help you, then I’ll be willing.” The Baruragaru was strangely awed. From what he had already seen and heard, no-one liked this girl at all, even less than they liked the Pale One – Gekula, he remembered. But her… her trust in this old ‘hybrid’, Duruhos, is so great that she believes in his words completely. To be perfectly honest, he was kind of frightened at how easily he was able to understand Sera. Was this what Duruhos meant when he said that she would be a good caretaker for him? Did he know that they’d be able to relate to each other? As soon as ‘each other’ crossed his mind, he felt that warm feeling again. The idea of knowing someone who was sort of like him was… comforting. It’s because you’re weak, the nasty voice of doubt reminded him. You want to rely on others now because your transformation has left you helpless. Sera extended a hand adorned with talon-like nails, distracting the Baruragaru from the dark thoughts lurking in his mind. He examined it, allowing his tongue to slip free from his mouth and dart around her outstretched fingers, taking in her scent. She was forever patient with him. The Baruragaru reached the conclusion that she didn’t smell like something to be wary of. Although he was reluctant to trust others, because that got you nowhere in the wild, he had to admit that he needed all the help he could get in this strange new world he had stumbled into. He nodded to her, something that he knew would get a positive reaction from observing Keyren and the others. But he didn’t get any kind of reaction. Sera’s neutral expression never changed, apart from a twitch at the edge of her mouth. “Alright, I will be your caretaker then,” she told him. He nodded again. He was getting good at learning how to communicate with these hybrids, which would be essential for his survival. Turning to Duruhos, Sera asked him quietly, “Does he have a name?” He replied in the negative. “I don’t believe so. If you can convince him to go along with it, you can pick one for him.” “Sssss…” the Baruragaru hissed. He smelled tension from where Keyren and the rest were still watching. “I can’t believe this is happening…” the Lagiacrus-girl growled. Sera heard, and what happened next was strange. For the first time, her face changed – it was subtle, but her expression hardened, and a red gleam flickered across the surface of her eyes. It was the Baruragaru’s turn to tense. But then Sera was normal again. She moved the arm with the spiked collar around the wrist and brushed her hair away from her eyes. Then she looked directly at the Baruragaru with a gaze that contained an odd intensity beyond the perpetual sadness, and spoke a single word… “Sanguis.” Everyone fell silent when they heard the uttered sound. The only noise was that of the wind, which blew through the roofless dwelling and stirred up the sand on the ground. “Do you like it?” Sera asked softly. “I hear Baruragarus like the taste of blood more than any other monster, so I thought the name would be good, and meaningful. Is… is that okay?” Sanguis… It was very unusual, like nothing the Baruragaru had ever heard. Did he even want a name? He was definitely still adamant about staying true to his nature, to who he was, but after his transformation, he felt like he no longer knew anything about himself. So did he want a name, to be called something other than ‘Baruragaru’ or ‘Swamp Boy’? “Sssss…” he hissed, and nodded. In his defense, it was on an indecisive impulse. Duruhos clapped his hands together. “Congratulations!” he praised. “You two are companions now. Sera, take good care of him, and Sanguis, do the same for her.” All Sera did was look down at her feet. The Baruragaru – now Sanguis – indicated that he understood by moving closer to Sera’s side. The other hybrids were muttering amongst themselves. Sanguis’ sharp ears heard Keyren snorting, “I wonder how long this will last.” “Oh, not even I can see what good will come from this…” Melody moaned. “Dissidia not understand…” the Deviljho-girl said, scratching her head. He was so close to her now, he could feel the girl in black trembling. And when he caught a glimpse of her downcast eyes, they turned red for the tiniest of instants. There was something more to this quiet, mysterious girl than met the eye… ---- To be continued... Metamorphosis: Seven Sins VIX - Demanding Decisions Category:Fan Fiction Category:Cottonmouth255